Currently promoting the film, Fantastic Four director Matt Shakman has hopes some of the secondary villains will return. Additionally, he explains why no directors cut for Fantastic Four: First Steps would be possible.
First, lets look at an interview Shakman did with EW. Even if you’ve yet to see the film, like me you are probably aware there are some secondary villains named in the first act. Villains the group has already tangled with in the past. Whereas the focus of the movie is on Silver Surfer and Galactus. You are also probably aware that John Malkovich’s role as Red Ghost was pretty much cut from the final film.
However, Shakman hopes that some of these villains could return in future instalments.
“The opening of the movie was about trying to quickly tell people who didn’t know about the Fantastic Four and who they are and how they got to be who they are,” Shakman tells Entertainment Weekly. “Quickly tell them who they are individually, what their powers are, how they got them, and how important they are to their society. They are an inspiration. They’re celebrities, they’re leaders, they’re inventors.”
‘Through news headlines, mug shots, and reels, we see flashes of classic Fantastic Four comic book villains like Red Ghost (John Malkovich) and his team of Super-Apes (who once played a larger role in the film before being cut for time), Mad Thinker, and Puppet Master.’
“Those are great characters and they certainly could come back.”
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‘Speaking of Red Ghost specifically, the director adds, “John did an amazing job. He’s a fantastic actor. He is one of my favorite people, and he’s brilliant in the movie. It just was such a heartbreaking thing to have to eliminate that section, but we had so much to introduce. We had so many characters to introduce this whole world, this whole other universe, and it just became too much backstory.”‘
“There are so many great villains and so many great characters in the Fantastic Four [comics], and there are hopefully other opportunities down the road to include them,” he says.
My only, ‘wait a minute’ here would be… Surely post-Secret Wars, the Fantastic Four are not going to go back to Earth-828? Of course, perhaps the conclusion of Secret Wars merges all these Earth’s together in some way? Who knows, but I would have guessed that a Fantastic Four: First Steps sequel would be set on Earth-616. Guess we shall see?
Additionally, for any fans hoping to see the Red Ghost scenes on an extended directors cut, it’s not happening. In a separate interview with Elite Daily, Shakman explains why no directors cut can happen.
“No unfortunately not, there’s so much VFX involved… not possible”
So what do you think of Shakman’s comments about the secondary villains returning? Have you seen The Fantastic Four: First Steps, what did you think? Thoughts below as usual.
